A sidious plot
by CommanderBugs
Summary: Jedi master, General Mace Windu is called onto a remote planet/outpost where a sith mystery plot is underway. Can he stop it?


Sergeant Cromwell ran along the lines of the battlefield, zigzagging so that the snipers could not hit him. Shots struck the ground all around him.

"Alpha Unit! Alpha Unit!" He yelled into his helmet's comlink, diving for cover.

"This is A-12998."A familiar clone voice said over the com station.

"We're being overrun! I repeat, overrun! Clankers everywhere! Position X-1-0-0-fi...," The comlink was cut before he got to finish, "A-12998! Do you copy? Damn this fripping com station!" Sergeant Cromwell rolled into the open and fired three shots at the tower where the heavy gun was. He failed to hit target and the assailant, being a droid, did not take cover. "Bastasi!" He rolled back to cover. He really hoped that he would be relieved soon, but he needed a plan before that would happen. His squad was slaughtered and now he was the only clone facing an army of clankers. This sergeant had a series of skills under his belt, but he didn't have any resources to use them. The first thing he needed to do was to gather resources, but he needed to decide which resources to gather. The heavy gun stopped firing.

"What in the name of-," He stole a look at the tower, noticing two figures quickly sliding down its walls. "Oh blast it! Commando droids!" He swore aloud. He had no idea what to do now but fight. He gave his best battle cry and charged into the open, firing his blaster rifle. The first shot hit the first commando droid in the body, the second in its head; it crumpled to the floor. The other droid leapt through the air at Cromwell, landing on him and throwing him to the floor. Cromwell gasped as the air was thrown from his lungs. He reached for his fallen blaster rifle but the commando droid kicked him in the face. Pain shot through his head and neck as the command droid picked him up by his neck and threw him onto a rock.

The last thing Cromwell saw before black and red filled his vision was four LAAT Gunships soaring overhead. He chuckled… "Stupid clankers."

Mace Windu stood over the battlefield, lined with dead bodies and broken machinery. He shook his head in disappointment. This was _supposed_ to be a secret Republic Outpost. He turned to leave, but he felt a prickly feeling inside his head. It was the force. He turned to look about the dead bodies; he felt life in the force.

"Captain! Captain Ficks!" He waved his hand. The red armored man approached Windu.

"Sir!" he saluted.

"Didn't you say that there were no survivors?"

"Yes sir. Scans for life signs came up negative, sir." Windu nodded and looked about the field.

"I believe the scans to be false, Captain." He grimaced at all of the battle debris.

"Shall I run a diagnostics check on our systems, sir?" The clone asked, still standing next to him.

"I doubt it was fault of the systems, Captain Ficks." He turned and faced him, "I want teams of two formed for a search party. Look for any signs of life, breathing… etc. Don't use the machines."

"Sir, yes sir!" He saluted and ran away. Mace Windu looked to his lightsaber. He had a feeling that he would need it soon.

"Your defeat will be most looked down upon, General Loathsom. I will report to my master; let's hope that he is sympathetic to your cause." Darth Tyranus disappeared from the holo-projector. General Loathsom cringed and clenched his fists.

"That pompous Dwarfnut!" General Loathsom roared. "That lightsaber does not make him deity."

"Sir," A battle droid commander approached Loathsom, "Our forward units are in position. We are prepared to move on command."

"Very well." He turned, beginning to relax, "I will not have another tarnishing on my record, such as defeat. I fear too many more will end me. Mount an AAT and begin movement. I will lead the attack." He turned and followed the droid across the dusty field to where the soldiers and tanks were lined up. One of the tank's back hatches was open, waiting for Loathsom. He entered and the door closed, hiding the boarish-looking alien until he reappeared at the commander's hatch at the top of the tank.

"Begin moving!" he roared and so they did. The clank of the droid's feet marching and the rumble of the massive tanks could be heard from quite a distance. They brought destruction with them and they were paying a visit to the Republic.

The clones scoured the dusty, dead body-filled plains in search for life signs as General Windu had requested. General Windu, however, was meditating. He never felt anything like he was feeling now. There was a presence about them; it was a strong, dark presence, one of the likes the Jedi had never faced before. He felt it was the presence of the Sith. It wasn't a feeling that he recognized though. The Jedi Council have had presumed feelings towards the sith before, but this felt different; it felt more powerful, more direct, more distant. He delved into the depths of the force, travelling through the cosmos in search for this dark presence. It felt as though there was a wall placed before his mind, shielding him from the identity of the dark lord. Then he felt life. The dark lord relinquished his grasp.

"Sir, I've got one! Life signs positive!" Windu, even though glad about the person being found, cringed that the dark lord evaded him. He opened his eyes and stood, moving to where the trooper stood.

He knelt next to the fallen clone, "What is his identification?"

The clone pulled out a data pad, "Sir, CC-50217; nickname Glades, sir. He was assigned as a gunner."

_Why was this man shadowed by the Sith?_

Windu held his hand before him, palm down, over the man. There was something there, but he didn't know what it was.

"Trooper, get this man a medic immediately. I also want a guard escort on him at all times. This trooper is to not go anywhere or meet anyone without us knowing about it. Is that understood?"

"Sir Yes sir!" the trooper saluted and ran off, "Medic, medic, we need a medic over here!"

Windu stood. He would consult the council over this matter. For now he needed to secure the grounds.

The droids arrived at Thespar's Cliff. The droids and tanks lined up upon the threshold. General Loathsom looked out upon the land as he pulled out his imagecaster. Dooku appeared.

"Lord Dooku." Loathsom said, neutral in voice.

"General. You can begin your assault. If you fail again you will be no loss to me; keep that in mind."

"But my lord-" Loathsom said, fear arising.

"I don't want excuses, General, just results. I expect a report by mid-day tomorrow." The hologram of Dooku vanished from the imagecaster. Loathsom shook in anger like a mad man and smashed the device, breaking it.

"Sir- what are our orders?"

"Begin the assembly of the weapons."

"Roger, roger." The droid moved away toward the other group of battle droids. "Assemble the weapon! You heard the general."

"Roger roger." The droids mumbled as they moved about beginning construction.

Loathsom retreated back into the tank, closing the commander's hatch.

Meanwhile back on the battle grounds Windu observed the clones dragging the battle debris away from the battle site.

"Sir, we have received our report from central. The grounds are secure. It is safe for you to travel now. We have also restored and enhanced our blaster turrets and cannons sir and a unit has been assigned to man it."

"Thank you, Ficks. I will be searching the area for any droid survivors. I want you, Private Kahn, and Private Azro to accompany me."

"Yes sir! I will prepare them now!" he saluted and ran away.

Windu again sat and folded his legs, closing his eyes. He focused.

_Images! A man? A building? No… a factory? A droid factory? No. What is it?_

"General, sir. We are ready." Windu opened his eyes to see Captain Ficks and the two privates before him.

He stood, "Very well. Let's move."

"Sir, all weapons are ready and are at optimized range."

"Good. Are the infantry units ready to march, Commander?"

"Yes sir. "

"Good."

"Should we begin march, sir?"

Loathsom grinned and locked his hands together in anticipation. "Yes."

"Roger roger."

Corporal Layman, the clone medic, entered the hospital tent to find the injured gunner.

"Clone CC-50217, can you hear me?" He bent over them man, his face only a few inches from the gunner's. "Glade?" There was nothing. Layman began to rise when the clone suddenly jerked awake. He sat upright so fast that Layman, startled, stumbled back and clumsily reached for his pistol on a hospital cart behind him. Glade stared forward, blank, eyes dark.

"CC-50217?" Layman asked cautiously, no longer afraid.

Glade turned and looked at the clone evilly. "Where am I?" he grunted even more evilly, as though a demon possessed him.

"In a medical tent. You were recovered from a battle field."

The clone, looked about the tent. "Alone?"

"Yes. I am the chief-." Something else caught Layman's attention. Glade's life signs were coming up negative. "What in the name of?"

Layman did not get to finish. Glade lunged from the bed and landed on Layman, sending carts and medical supplies hurtling through the air. Layman reached for his now fallen pistol, but could not reach it. He shouted, "Guards! Help!" Those were his last words. Glade reached to his head from behind and yanked back hard. There was a popping noise and Layman went limp, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. The guards ran in and shot at Glade, but he was too fast. He shoved past the two guards and left the tent. The guards turned to chase, but he was gone. 


End file.
